


Smoke & Mirrors

by Gravitydrop



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Assassin Axel (Kingdom Hearts), Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Heartless (Kingdom Hearts) - Freeform, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Prince Roxas (Kingdom Hearts), Rating will change, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-12
Updated: 2019-02-12
Packaged: 2019-10-27 04:10:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17759516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gravitydrop/pseuds/Gravitydrop
Summary: Axel, thief and trained assassin, has been sent on a mission by the mysterious Organization to execute the young prince Roxas of Twilight Kingdom weeks before his coronation. When his plans go awry however, Axel finds himself caught between betraying the only home he’s ever known or the young man who so graciously spared his life.





	Smoke & Mirrors

The mission begins at dusk. The pale crescent moon wanders solemnly into view as the seaside town is bathed in the warm fading light of the evening. Axel wanders swiftly through the thick underbrush in complete silence, carefully past various guards who patrol the further outer limits of the town, ever vigilant against the growing threat of Heartless that dare to enter into the city. Their numbers have been steadily increasing for the past few months, and town’s have grown ever wary to their presence. 

It's taken him days to travel here, ages of walking on foot through deep forest, wading across shallow rivers and secretly hitchhiking on the back of horse carts, completely unnoticed before sliding off down the hillside and into the lush, flower-filled ravine below. He's cautious; careful to avoid rousing any local suspicions that the Organization could potentially be back in business. That would be the last thing he'd need right on his shoulders right now, and he's sure he'd never hear the end of it from his superiors back at their headquarters if news got out. Word travels fast he figures, but he travels faster. He’s light on his boots and shrouded in black, fire-red hair hidden and tucked neatly into his heavy dark hood as he makes his way toward the outskirts of the town, blending in easily as the night slowly creeps in. He's getting closer.

He’s been entrusted with this task, finally given something more than menial duties to head out and actually begin setting their plan in motion. Years of training has led up to this moment, he can’t fail them now and risk being thrown onto the streets again. He just has to get in, get the job accomplished, and head back before further action is taken from his higher-ups. He’s always left in the dark on these things. Figures it’s better to act now and complete the job and ask questions later, rather than risk them never trusting him with sensitive information again. It’s all part of the plan.

In one fluid motion, Axel hoists himself up onto a low-hanging tree branch, swinging his legs up underneath him and positions himself carefully on a sturdy limb. He squints, green eyes focussing in on the distance. The town isn't far off now, and there’s a gentle glow emanating from it. It’s so warm and peaceful, he thinks, the scent of sea-salt blowing in from over the water, rustling the tree’s early summer leaves. His eyes continue onwards to the edge of the town, and just as planned, to the south lays the single castle that resides there, towards the shallow, rocky cliffside and beach. He’ll make quick work down that side, avoid the guards, and slide up over the rocks to avoid any chance of detection. He can’t stop for the night and risk camping out this close to the city, knowing any fire he’d set would immediately attract the wrong kind of attention. He’ll have to keep going for now and rest later, perhaps streamside. He jumps down from the tree in near silence, pausing to listen to the forest around him before continuing onward. 

Axel keeps towards the edge of the forest as he travels, watching as the roadside lanterns flick on in unison, their warm glow illuminating the wet cobblestone path towards the town from the day's earlier downpour. The scent of fresh dew is still clinging to the air, damp and earthy. 

Suddenly, he can hear footprints slowly approaching. Two guards walk in unison, carrying large torches with them, boots clacking on the stone ground. Remaining completely still, Axel crouches into the bushes, hand hovering just above the dagger kept securely on the side of his boot. Thankfully, he hasn’t had to take drastic measures so far, managed to elude everyone so effortlessly in the cover of darkness, but there’s always the chance he might have to make this his first kill on the mission. It won’t be his last. He’s raised a knife to men before, slashed in long strokes and watched the life bleed away from them, pale and gasping and begging for a semblance of mercy. It’s never pleasant; but it’s part of the life he’s come to live. There’s no going back now.

He inches backwards slowly, keeping an eye on the position of the guard, when he steps on an unnoticed tree root which cracks loudly under the heel of his boot. He can hear the guards muttering to themselves, waving their torches back and forth in hopes to spot what creature lies in wait for them. Axel swears under his breath, barely a whisper. His heart begins to race fast, pupils dilate in his green eyes until they’re black, and he keeps his breathing under tight control. In and out. In and out. Just as he’d practiced countless times before. It’s not worth risking using magic now, not when the world around him is still damp and wet, not when a burst of flame would give him away this close to the castle and alert more guards. 

He backs up more carefully this time as the guards begin to approach his hiding place, testing the ground under his foot before placing his weight, wet leaves cushioning any sounds that he dare make. He moves slowly, cautiously, before reaching a crouch, stands hunched over, and turns around to speed away, only to immediately come face to face with a third guard who quickly takes a heavy-handed swing at Axel. He dodges underneath the blow, throws his leg to the ground and trips the large man before taking off back into the forest. He’s been set up, there’s no question about it. He’s been being followed. But how could he have missed it? What could have possibly gone wrong? He’s covered any tracks he could have left, kept to the deepest parts of the woods, hid his scent from any search dogs by following rivers when necessary. He’d expected the security around the city to be rigorous and near impenetrable, but not like this. How could this have happened? 

He’s running as fast as he can, panting loudly, pushing hanging branches, leaves, and vines out of his face as he makes a solid bolt for it. A thin, hanging branch scratches his face as he runs, blood trickling down his cheek. He can practically see the light from the torches behind him illuminating some of the trees ahead. This is bad. This could be it for him. This part of the forest is too dark, and he’s struggling to glimpse what’s ahead. Suddenly, another hidden root covered in slippery moss and vines catches the edge of Axel’s boot, and he slams face-first towards the damp earth, scrambling on his now dirtied black gloves to get up and escape. The next thing Axel sees, however, as he looks up and around himself is three hefty guards standing over him, a large raised fist, before everything goes silent and black. 

\-----

Axel’s practically delirious and slipping in and out of consciousness, horribly dizzy, when he looks up to see he’s been dragged to the enormous castle doors, kept alight by massive torches. Axel looks up, moonlight now bathing the castle in a hazy white glow. He wasn’t expecting it to be small by any means, but the building is absolutely massive this close up. He’s jabbed in the side by a large elbow, told to keep walking as he stumbles forward. His arms are wrapped tightly behind his back. He distantly notices that his fingers too, have been bound into tight fists to keep him from summoning any magic. Clever, he thinks bitterly to himself. He’s sure he’ll make it out of this; this isn’t the first time he’s been caught, but it certainly is the first time he’s been caught in a place with such high stakes and security. It’s just a matter of time before he has the opportunity to run. But now isn’t the time to chance it. 

They make their way through the long, dim corridors of the castle before stopping upon a set of two heavy doors. The large guards push open the massive, ornate wooden doors, and Axel is immediately taken aback, jaw going slack at the room that appears before him. The throne room is completely remarkable and absolutely pristine in every manner of the word. It’s a far cry from what Axel had been used to growing up with. Sure, he didn’t do too poorly being raised by the Organization, but this was beyond anything he could have dreamed of in his wildest imagination. Truly a room fit for a king. Who could possibly need this much space in a lifetime, yet alone two? 

He’s hauled down the center of the floor in complete silence, boots clicking. He continues to fidget and struggle against his tight binds as he’s walked. Several large archways line both sides of the cream colored room, each bearing bright red torches at their peaks. They feature their own sophisticated designs; beasts and noble men from centuries past, caught in the throes of war and forever instilled in lavish stone. The room is absolutely bathed in light, despite the hour, glinting off the white marbled flooring, giving the impression of water. Axel looks down, and can practically see his own distraught reflection caught there. His dishevelled hair. The cut on his cheek and forehead where the blood has recently dried. He’s a complete embarrassment.

In the center of the room, raised high on the ceiling, is an intricately decorated chandelier, candles burning and adding even more light to the room. Axel raises his head towards the back wall. There sits the most elaborate throne he’s ever seen in his travels. It sits, proud and noble, completely gold and sparking with embedded crystals and gems, placed in front of enormous archway windows. 

As they approach the throne, Axel finally catches a glimpse of the Prince. He’s young. Younger than Axel had imagined, from what he guesses, around nineteen or twenty years old. He wears a small, simple but beautifully decorated crown on his head, blue gems embedded into the polished gold, matching his equally large blue eyes, dark eyelashes framing them. His hair is soft and blond, glowing in the firelight. Like his crown, he’s dressed simply but elegantly, white and gold with touches of blue. It was funny, almost. He was told he was young and boyish looking, but this wasn’t exactly what he’d expected. 

Abruptly, Axel’s thrown roughly to the floor, crashing down onto his knees at the foot of the throne, a splitting pain jolting up his thighs and into his back, gritting his teeth at the sudden pain. His hands are completely numb now, still bound far too tightly behind his back as he struggles against the confines fruitlessly, as if he can somehow free himself from the situation and make a dart for it. 

“This is him, Your Highness,” one of the guards bellows, “judging from the insignia on his knife,” the guard pauses to pull out Axel’s most prized dagger, the one with the ruby encrusted handle and intricately designed blade, they must have taken it while he was unconscious, the bastards. “We believe he is a part of the Organization.”

The prince simply nods, “I understand,” he says. 

“We strongly suggest an immediate execution, Your Highness”

Axel’s world freezes around him instantly. His heart is beating so fast at this point, blood pumping deafeningly loud in his ears. He begins to panic, thrashing against the tight confines he’s wrapped in before the guards grab him under his arms again, about to haul him up to his feet.

“Wait,” the prince says, eyeing over Axel with what looks to be profound interest, whose breath is coming out in sharp gasps now. He’s unable to keep his calm, unable to hold still. Not after that. 

“Put him down,” the prince requests calmly. The guards shove Axel forward again on his dirtied knees, and Axel can feel his pupils constrict as he comes face to face with the prince again. His heartbeat hastening. 

“What is your name?” 

Axel remains completely still before one of the guard’s heavy staffs jabs him sharply in the back, making him cough.

“Your Highness has asked you a question. Speak.”

“I,” Axel pauses, eyes managing to look everywhere but the prince’s face, before finally managing to meet soft, blue eyes, “I’m Axel.”

“Nice to meet you Axel,” the prince leans down, eyes glinting from the flames, “I’m Roxas.”

**Author's Note:**

> This has been a really big labor of love so far and I'm really excited to get this moving and updated on a somewhat regular basis. Thanks to all my new friends who helped me bounce ideas back and forth, you've all really helped me get this going. I've never been a huge fan of AUs but wanted to try my hand at one. Thanks for reading!


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